By DAN RALEY, P-I REPORTER

Published 10:00 pm, Monday, June 30, 2008

Over the weekend, the former NBA player who has been living in a downtown homeless shelter for several months received the keys to a low-income house in North Seattle, taking up residence not far from Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center.

It's been a whirlwind five weeks for Pace, 54, since the Seattle P-I publicized what has been an ongoing story -- his fall from grace as a member of the Washington Bullets' 1978 NBA championship team to a homeless man maneuvering through the streets of Seattle.

"I feel like I've won another NBA championship," he said.

Pace has been inundated with gifts from strangers, particularly size-17 basketball sneakers. He received large packages of athletic gear from the Sonics and the now-Washington Wizards. He made radio talk-show appearances. He spoke at a Kent juvenile center. He has received offers of free knee surgery and dental work. He has been recognized at malls and on the bus.

Expressing a desire to work with children, the likable 6-foot-10 Pace was invited to help coach next season's Ingraham High School boys' basketball team as a volunteer assistant, and he readily accepted the offer.

"As soon as he walked into the gym, the players bonded to him instantly," said Anthony Lanier, the Rams' head coach. "He came in wearing a Sonics jacket, and they gave him a round of applause."

"I'll just be a trainer," the big man said.

Pace's housing was arranged through the persistence of several people, including the Legends of Basketball, the NBA's retired players organization, with the group supplying a check for a deposit and two months' rent.

He'll have to pay $185 a month thereafter, but is confident his $660 permanent disability checks and meager earnings as a security guard at the Millionair Club, another homeless facility, will easily cover the expense.

"It's a place where I won't disturb anybody," Pace said.

Former NBA players currently are being asked to donate any furniture or household items they might have for Pace. An extra-long bed and possibly a wheelchair would be of great help to him.

"We anticipate a nice response," said Talia Bargil of Legends of Basketball through an e-mail.

Pace, a native of New Brunswick, N.J., has been living on the streets of several cities on and off for the past 17 years, since he suffered a career-ending back injury while playing pro basketball in Argentina.

After leading Coppin State to an NAIA title, he was a member of the 1977 and 1978 Bullets, receiving a ring as a reserve center for the title team. He grew impatient with his NBA progress and left the country to pursue basketball, a move that cost him a pension.

He arrived in Seattle by bus six years ago, choosing to live in this city because it was the last place that had left him feeling upbeat. Fighting substance-abuse problems with cocaine and alcohol, he was in and out of different housing arrangements before winding up as a steady overnight visitor at the Family Adult and Service Center. He is clean and sober. He has people monitoring him.

"The main thing is keeping him on the straight and narrow," said Vester Marshall, a former Sonics forward and recovering drug addict who also was a big help in landing housing for Pace. "I remind him of his recovery. I have a lot of confidence in him."

Pace's plight has been no secret, reported by other Seattle media outlets in recent years. Yet the offers of assistance and level of public concern seemed to multiply this time after the recent images of him at the shelter and on the street.

An elderly woman saw him in Chinatown, hugged him and started to cry. "I told her we were going to have to get married or something because she wouldn't let go," Pace said.

Wandering through Westfield Southcenter mall, Pace spotted a massage chair he couldn't resist and was pulling out a dollar when a woman recognized him, plopped down $5 and insisted she pay for the service. "She said, 'You're the one in the paper,' " Pace related. "A lot of people were stopping and saying, 'Hello, I know you.' I didn't want to leave that massage chair."

He jokingly mentioned that women living at the nearby YWCA became friendly with him after learning he was a former NBA player.

"Women are attacking me," the twice-divorced man protested. "One tried to take me home with her, but I don't work that fast."

Anthony Washington, the former Washington and Portland State basketball player, felt compelled to deliver five brand-new pairs of sneakers to Pace.

Ernie Grunfeld, former NBA player and general manager, sent a care package that included sneakers.

The Wizards mailed him four pairs of shoes, a sweat suit, jersey and 15 pairs of socks.

Pace, who now wears a pair of green Air Nikes supplied by the Sonics, received so many pairs of basketball shoes -- 20 at a very early count -- he couldn't fit them all into his locker at the shelter, and he started giving them away to other homeless people.

California and local doctors have expressed interest in providing Pace with free knee replacements. A local public-assistance dentist has offered to fix his teeth.

A documentary filmmaker from Los Angeles has inquired about Pace, as has an Oakland magazine publisher. A local woman said she wanted to write a book about him.

"He's not looking for a handout; that's what makes me respect him so much," said Ingraham's Lanier, who intends to have his teenage players participate in street outreach efforts alongside Pace. "A lot of times we just talk. We've built a friendship."

Pace seems genuinely moved by this outpouring of help, with this change in fortune. He feels more inspired than helpless.

He's eager to mix with people, and has agreed to take part in a Youth in Action basketball clinic. He recently bought Gatorade and water with food stamps to take to the event.

A tinkerer when motivated, he will resume work on his toy basketball robots, an attention getter with children. He also intends to plant a vegetable garden.

"I'm going to be a big old jolly green giant," Pace said. "I don't know how long I'm going to be on this earth, but I want to do positive stuff now."